


Time Will Tell

by HaMandCheezIts



Category: Back to the Future (Movies)
Genre: Changing Relationships, Doctor Brown Needs an Assistant, Gen, Grounded-not-grounded, Mentor/Protege or Friends?, Pre-Canon, Pre-Movie Reference, Related to My Previous Story, Sometimes You Just Need to Vent, Still Need Money for That Guitar, That First Day of School Sucks, Twin Pines Timeline, What's the Deal with Jennifer?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24283180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaMandCheezIts/pseuds/HaMandCheezIts
Summary: Marty McFly's parents give their reluctant permission for the fourteen-year-old to take a job assisting Doctor Emmett L. Brown. Soon the teen and the scientist start to develop a friendship. Later, Marty finds his platonic relationship with Jennifer Parker has an opportunity for growth.NOTE: SEE CHAPTER 3 NOTES CONCERNING VIDEO LINK.“Why didn’t you tell us that you were going to Burger King? I had no idea you were gone.”Marty glared at his father. “That’s just the point. You don’t know what I’m doing. You were busy working, and Mom was already half asleep.” Well, half something.George stared back, his mouth tight. “That’s not fair, Marty.”“No, it’s not! You guys only notice me when I get in trouble! Or when I ask for something.” Marty was dismayed to feel tears pricking his eyes. “Sometimes I don’t know why you guys didn’t stop having kids after Linda. You got a girl and a boy, what did you need me for?”  What was it that Dave had called him? Oh, yeah. “I’m redundant!”
Relationships: Emmett "Doc" Brown & Marty McFly, George McFly & Lorraine Baines McFly & Marty McFly, George McFly & Marty McFly, Marty McFly & Jennifer Parker, Marty McFly/Jennifer Parker
Comments: 1
Kudos: 41





	1. Trial Period

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Resulting Present of Respective Pasts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21206864) by [HaMandCheezIts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaMandCheezIts/pseuds/HaMandCheezIts). 



> This story is related to another of my BTTF stories, “The Resulting Present of Respective Pasts.” In that story (which starts in the 1885 time period), Marty is discussing his scattered memories with Doc Brown. Marty is agitated over the fact that he and Doc might have different recollections of how they met and became friends. This story is a continuation of Marty's 1982 memory, from the Twin Pines universe/timeline. 
> 
> -ck
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own _Back to the Future_ , Doctor Emmett L. Brown, Marty McFly (or any of his family members), or Einstein the dog. I have created one original character who is mentioned in this story.
> 
> I am writing for fun and feedback, not for profit.

**Saturday, August 14th, 1982**

**1:32 PM**

**Hill Valley, California**

Marty stood In the center of the converted garage, looking around in awe.

It was just a few days ago that he and Doctor Brown had made the slapdash agreement re: employee and employer while seated at Burger King. Marty had quickly boarded home (taking care in the dark so as not to have another wipeout and get his second-hand skateboard taken away as well). He'd then snuck back into the house without anyone being the wiser. Linda had been holed-up in her room, Lorraine had still been in front of the TV (and out like a light), and George had moved from the living room to the kitchen table, so he could concentrate better on Biff’s reports. Marty had wandered into the kitchen to sit at the table and stare at his father.

ooOoo

It took almost two minutes before George realized his youngest was sitting nearby. “Oh, son. I didn’t see you.”

Marty tipped his head in acknowledgement. When George concentrated on something, whether it was work, a television program, or a science fiction book he was reading, he became singularly focused and there was little that could distract him. “’sokay, Dad,” Marty said.

George wrote down a few words and related numbers, grabbed a nearby calculator to check his subtraction, and then nodded to himself. Dropping his pen, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his eyes, knocking his glasses askew.

“Whatcha workin’ on, Dad?” Marty asked idly.

“Oh, just some profit and loss numbers, nothing exciting.” George pushed his glasses up. “What’s your mom doing?”

Marty shrugged, swallowing uncomfortably. “Ah, I think she’s asleep.”

George twisted around in his chair, trying to see the living room couch from his seat at the table. Marty noticed the man didn’t try very hard. He swallowed again. His parents appeared to love each other, he’d seen them kiss and hold hands and occasionally laugh with one another. The affection was infrequent, though, and when it did occur, it seemed obligatory. Marty often wondered about that, especially when he’d see other couples who were clearly in love, and obviously didn’t have any qualms about showing it. Like Uncle Milton and Aunt Nancy. They were always draped over each other, teasing and joking, they had cute nicknames for each other, and they didn’t have any problem putting their love on display for the world to see. It was almost kind of sickening.

But it was also kind of nice.

George had turned back to his papers, and Marty sighed audibly. The man looked up, somewhat surprised. “Marty? What is it?”

“I, um, well. . . “ _Don’t be like him, say what you want!_ “Dad, I wanted to ask you something.”

George lowered his pen again. “Go on, then.”

“Okay. I talked to Mom this morning, I asked her about what you guys had said, that you’d help me buy an electric guitar if I raised half of the money myself – “

“Marty, you know we can’t – “

“I know, Dad, Mom already told me,” Marty said sharply. “But what if I could earn more money on my own?”

“I believe your mother said she didn’t want you mowing Milton’s lawn anymore,” George said, gesturing at Marty’s bandaged hands. “Especially if you are going to injure yourself – “

“This wasn’t from mowing the lawn! I fell off my skateboard because I wasn’t paying attention. And I’m fine, it’s just some scrapes, they’ll heal.” Marty was starting to get frustrated, and he took a few deep breaths to settle himself. “Anyway, mowing the lawn or cleaning someone’s gutters or things like that don’t pay great. I just got this opportunity to take a better job, one doing cool stuff, and it pays better.” Marty actually wasn’t sure of that, he and Doctor Brown hadn’t exactly discussed a pay rate, but if he could get paid for something easy like playing with a dog and shopping for groceries, it would be loads better than doing yardwork.

“You ‘just’ got this job offer? When did this happen?” George was resting his chin on his hand, closely observing his son.

“Uh – “ Marty’s hand crept around to the back of his head, rubbing at his neck. “Um, like an hour ago.”

“An hour ago you were in your room. Weren’t you?”

Marty was now tangling his fingers together, playing with the bandages on his palms. “Uh, no. I was at Burger King.”

“Marty,” George sighed, shaking his head. “You’re supposed to be grounded. I don’t know how you can come to me and ask me about money and taking a job when we can’t even trust you to stay in the house when you’re being punished.”

Marty opened his mouth, blinked, and then suddenly realized he had an out. “I’m not grounded, Dad. Mom just took away my new skateboard for a while. She didn’t say I couldn’t go out.”

“She didn’t?” George looked doubtful.

“No.”

“So why didn’t you tell us that you were going to Burger King? I had no idea you were gone.”

Marty glared at his father. “That’s just the point. You _don’t_ know what I’m doing. You were busy working, and Mom was already half asleep.” _Half something._

George stared back, his mouth tight. “That’s not fair, Marty.”

“No, it’s not! You guys only notice me when I get in trouble! Or when I ask for something.” Marty was dismayed to feel tears pricking his eyes. “Sometimes I don’t know why you guys didn’t stop having kids after Linda. You got a girl and a boy, what did you need me for?” What was it that Dave had called him? _Oh, yeah._ “I’m redundant!”

The father and son looked levelly at each other for several moments; Marty was breathing hard and George was grimacing, his mouth twisting as he chewed on his lower lip. Marty lowered his eyes first, sighing deeply. “Sorry, Dad,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean that.”

“All right.” George sighed as well, taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses with his shirt. “It’s late, son. You should get to bed.”

“No!” Marty said, looking up. “I still never told – asked you about the job offer I got.”

George immediately shook his head. “You’re too young to work at Burger King, Marty – “

“I know that, that's what Dave – " Marty sighed loudly. "I went there to talk to Dave, and he said the same thing. But someone heard us talking, heard me talking about needing money, and he offered me a job. And not some crummy yardwork type job, it would be running errands and dog-sitting and house-sitting and stuff like that.”

“There’s no shame in yardwork, Marty, working with your hands. . . Most kids your age do jobs like that, or a paper route, for money,” George pointed out.

“A paper route? No way, that’s like for a ten-year-old kid.” Marty wrinkled his nose. “And I did my share of physical jobs, mowing Uncle Milton’s lawn and raking leaves for the Walsh’s next door and moving all those flagstone pieces for Mrs. Robertson. . . Maybe I want to use my brain for once!”

George had put his glasses on again, and now had his hands clasped together on the table top. “What kind of house-sitting job is this? How would it be so enlightening?”

“Well, it would teach me responsibility – “

“So would a paper route.”

“ – and I would be trusted with someone else’s house, and belongings, and pet . . . “

George nodded slowly. “And who is this person who just up and offered you this job?”

With barely a noticeable hesitation, Marty answered: “Doctor Brown.”

George’s hesitation was much longer. He shook his head slightly, lowering his eyebrows in consternation. “Who? Wait, you mean that odd older man who lives in the strange house by Burger King? The house that looks like a garage?” He looked away distractedly. “I think it _is_ a garage.”

“So what? What’s the big deal about that? And Doc’s not ‘odd.’ He’s . . . different.”

“They mean the same thing basically,” George said. “They’re synonyms. Granted, ‘odd’ is more of a pejorative term, but. – “

“Dad, don’t get all into simintics with me – “

“ _Semantics_ , Marty,” George corrected. Marty rolled his eyes. “Well, you just said you wanted to use your brain. If not for the English language, then what are you talking about?”

“Science!” Marty tossed his hands out desperately.

“I didn’t know you were interested in science.”

Marty shrugged and nodded at the same time. He honestly didn’t know if he liked science. The stuff he’d done in school so far had been a combination of boring and too complex to understand, and he’d been happy to achieve a ‘C’ in Physical Science last spring. Doctor Brown had said he was looking for someone to help him with his science experiments, but he’d also said he might want to delay that part of the ”assistant” job description until he and Marty were more familiar with each other.

George stood, stretching. “I don’t know, Marty. That Doctor Brown is a strange fellow, and he’s quite old." He went to the fridge, opening it and peering inside. "Do you want to split a soda?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Marty rose to go to the cupboard and get out two small glasses, placing them on the table. George cracked open a can of Diet Pepsi, pouring a half into each glass. The father and son sat quietly for a time, both sipping the soft drink.

George spoke first. “How exactly did Doctor Brown offer you this job? And what does it entail?”

Marty set his glass down. “Dave and I were talking – he took his break and we were in a booth. Anyway, Doctor Brown heard me telling Dave how I needed more money so I could get the guitar and everything on my own. If I earn the money myself, can’t I spend it on what I want to? Dave got himself those new shoes!”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t spend your money on what you’d like, Marty,” George said slowly, thrown by Marty’s defensiveness.

“Oh.” Marty looked a bit embarrassed. “It’s just, I know you make Dave put a part of his check in the bank, and Doctor Brown kind of mentioned that, too.” Before Marty and Doctor Brown had parted at the restaurant to return to their respective homes, the scientist had touted the importance of saving a portion of his money, instead of instantly using any and all funds toward his immediate desires.

“He said you should save some of your money?”

Marty nodded. “Yeah. And he wants you and Mom to come over to see his place, and meet him, so you can kinda see what I’d be doing. That he’s not gonna be using me as a guinea pig or something for his experiments.” The teen finished his drink, then grinned.

“Hmm.” George took a drink, sighing as he did, in the way that Marty always identified as an “old man swallow.” “That seems very responsible of him,” he commented.

Marty felt his heart beat just a little faster, as he realized he’d already won half the battle. And if he and his father worked together on convincing his mom. . . _Electric guitar, here I come!_

ooOoo

So now he was standing in the middle of Doctor Brown’s . . . “house,” his mother and father flanking him, as the earnest scientist prattled on about the particulars of Marty’s possible employment. “You see I have the normal amenities,” the man was saying, as he moved around and gestured at certain areas of the interior. “Kitchen area, refrigerator, television. . . Living room area. . . This is obviously my work area.” He moved on. “Ah, another work area, um, books, I have quite a few books, that’s one of the tasks that Marty could help me with, going through and organizing my work texts from my fiction library. . . “

As Emmett continued, Marty wandered away from his parents and began to explore. He heard his mother whisper for him to return, but ignored it. There was just so much to look at! Random pieces of equipment, some recognizable but some completely foreign, counters and tables loaded with circuit boards, tools, blueprints, and instruction manuals, varied clocks scattered hither and thither –

And a classic jukebox! Marty was headed toward the musical machine, but then unexpectedly came upon a furry shape in a dog bed. When Marty and his parents had arrived at the converted garage earlier, a smallish fluff of a dog had run up to them, causing Lorraine to back up uneasily. The scientist had quickly directed the dog to its bed in a further part of the building. Now again seeing the sheepdog, Marty forgot about the jukebox. He instead dropped to his knees and patted his legs. “C’mere, boy,” he said softly. “C’mon.”

The small dog popped his head up, then climbed out of the dog bed (which was adorned with a nametag that read “Einstein”) and tromped over to Marty. The boy dropped his head down and snuggled into the dog’s soft fur. Einstein, apparently taking to Marty as much as the teen had to him, lapped a sloppy dog kiss onto Marty’s face.

Doctor Brown broke off from his rambling, turning in the direction of Marty’s giggles. Lorraine moved forward, but George held out a hand, causing her to hesitate. George was watching Emmett’s face, intrigued by the change that had come over the older man. Instead of the awkward, frenetic energy of before, the scientist now seemed to be calm, almost content.

Marty sensed the silence and looked up, seeing the trio watching him. He addressed Einstein’s owner. “Hey, does he have a leash or something? Can I take him for a walk while you guys talk?”

“I don’t know, Marty. . . “ Lorraine said, at the same time that George said, “I think that would be fine, if Doctor Brown agrees.” Marty made a face at his parents’ disagreement, used to their contrary discussions. He turned again to Emmett for the final decision. “Doc Brown?”

Emmett looked between the husband and wife, then shook his head lightly and reached for a leash hanging on a hook by the door. “Here you are, Marty. He’s still young and doesn’t heel well, but I’m sure he’d be very happy to explore with you.”

Einstein came running, understanding exactly what was happening. Marty took the leash, clipping it onto the dog’s collar. “Don’t worry, we won’t go far,” he reassured his parents as he opened the door. “Come on, Einstein!”

Marty and Einstein first rambled around the backyard, and Einstein answered the call of nature ( _I’m not looking forward to this part_ , Marty thought to himself, as he made a mental note to ask Doctor Brown if he had a pooper scooper). After Marty was sure the dog didn’t have any more disposals to make, they left the backyard, skirted the few cars parked in the side lot of the Burger King, and made their way down the sidewalk. The young dog did spend the majority of the time sniffing and half-growling at any bugs or birds or scraps of garbage it happened to see, but when Marty gave a tug on the leash, Einstein would react more often than not. By the time Marty turned around and started to walk back to Doctor Brown’s place, the dog was trotting along at his heel fairly obediently. And when boy and dog returned to the garage, both looking quite happy with the other, the three adults were smiling. Well, George and Lorraine were smiling faintly. Emmett was beaming.

Marty stood in the entryway, still holding the leash. Einstein plopped down by Marty’s feet, apparently unconcerned that he was still tethered. He dropped his head onto Marty’s sneaker and sighed.

“Did you guys – can I? Can I work for Doctor Brown?” Marty asked breathlessly, twisting his head to look between his parents and the scientist.

Lorraine held up a finger. “One week,” she said. George cleared his throat softly. “One week,” Lorraine repeated, staring intently at her husband. “School starts after that.” She turned back to Marty. “A trial period. And if that works out for both of you, and there are no problems, then we can talk about setting up something more specific.”

Emmett was nodding in agreement. “If everything works out well, we’ll have to devise a schedule, concerning which afternoons you come by, what weekend hours, and so on.”

Marty found he couldn’t stop grinning. “That’s great! That’s perfect!”

“You’ll need to keep your grades up,” George said. “If your studies suffer, we’ll know you’re not able to handle school and a job.”

“But that won’t be a problem!” Marty answered, still grinning. “Doc Brown’s like really smart! If I have a hard time with homework he can help me!”

Lorraine scowled, immediately shaking her head. “That’s not what this is about, Marty. I don’t think Doctor Brown is looking to offer you tutoring. This is a job.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, right, okay, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll keep up in school, I promise.” Handing Einstein’s leash to Doctor Brown, Marty bounded up to his mother, bouncing on his feet excitedly. “It’ll be fine!”

Lorraine nodded grudgingly, and Marty embraced her, then did the same to his father – inasmuch as he could, as George barely returned the hug. “Thanks a lot, guys, really!” He turned back to Emmett. “You too, Doc, thanks!”

“My pleasure, Marty,” Emmett said. He smiled at Lorraine and George. “And if it’s all right with your parents, I could put you to work today.” His smile dimmed a bit. “Unless, of course, you all already have plans. I don’t mean to interrupt your weekend.”

Marty laughed shortly. “Nah, we don’t have anything going on,” he said, not caring that his truthful statement caused his mother to flush. “I’m free.”

“I want you home for supper,” Lorraine said firmly. Even though George was often distracted by work or the television and Dave typically left early to go to work, Lorraine McFly tried her best to get the family to eat supper together.

“Yeah, yeah,” Marty murmured. _Wouldn’t want to miss the pressed turkey loaf_ , he _almost_ said, but was able to hold his tongue, knowing that a smart remark just might get him a quick trip home.

George and Lorraine left not long after that, once they were reassured that Emmett would run Marty home in time for supper. Doctor Brown unclipped Einstein’s leash and hung it back up, patting the dog’s rump; the dog trundled back into the living area of the garage. Marty watched him for a moment, then looked back up at the scientist. The man and boy regarded each other curiously.

Emmett gestured at Marty’s hands. “You’ve healed from your skateboarding mishap?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Marty glanced down at his hands, which were still scraped, but mostly scabbed over. “That was already a few days ago. My knees are still kinda bruised.” He lifted a knee for inspection. “Nice and yellow and purple now.”

Doctor Brown looked at Marty’s clothes, frowning slightly. “I know why you’re in shorts, it’s quite warm out. But if you start assisting me with some experiments, it might be a good idea to wear longer pants, or to keep some here. So you don’t have as much exposed skin.” The man himself was wearing canvas trousers with many pockets. “If you have any jeans, preferably ones you wouldn’t mind getting stained or . . . well, not new ones.”

“Oh. Okay. I can bring some by tomorrow.” Marty gazed around the garage. “I thought I was just going to be doing organizing and cleaning and errands for you at first.”

“Yes, that’s the plan,” Emmett allowed, “but it’s always good to be prepared, I’ve found.”

Marty nodded. “What kind of experiments might I be helping you with, that you don’t want me wearing shorts?”

The scientist smiled, his eyes sparkling. “Time will tell.”

**_TO BE CONTINUED. . ._ **


	2. Confidant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marty has been working for Doctor Brown for a little over a week. And already, a friendship is blossoming between the employee and employer.
> 
> _“I wasn’t expecting you today.” Emmett squinted in confusion. “I thought you were coming by tomorrow, with today being the first day of school and all. I didn’t get my days disordered, did I?”_
> 
> _Marty grinned at the alliteration, which he was pretty sure the doc had done unintentionally. After a few more pets and scratches Einstein settled down, so the boy unloaded his backpack while he had the chance, talking while he did it. “No, you’re right, I’m coming over tomorrow after school to help you work on that automatic clothes press thing. But I’m gonna be a little late. I have detention.”_
> 
> _Emmett lowered the wires in his hands, looking at the teen in disbelief. “Detention? You’ve been in school for one day! How is that possible?” ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter in mind when I wrote the first portion of this story, so it was fairly easy to write. The chapter after this will entail the Jennifer/Marty saga. 
> 
> -ck
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own _Back to the Future_ , Doctor Emmett L. Brown, Marty McFly (or any of his family members), Jennifer Parker, Gerald/Stanford Strickland, or Einstein the dog. I have created an original character who is in this chapter. **Note:** I can't find a character tag for Stanford Strickland, so I chose Gerald Strickland (which is what the school disciplinarian is named in the novelization of the first movie). 
> 
> I am writing for fun and feedback, not for profit.

**Monday, August 23rd, 1982**

**3:26 PM**

**Hill Valley, California**

_Knock-knock. Knock. Knock-knock._

“Doc? You home?”

Emmett had been sorting wires by their gauges, and on hearing the now-familiar voice, he looked up from his work with a smile. The new nickname was equally familiar; Marty had been into just his second day of employment when "Doctor Brown" and "Doc Brown" had ultimately been shortened to "Doc." Although he'd been surprised by Marty's relaxed form of address, the scientist hadn't discouraged it, soon finding he rather enjoyed the teen's openly friendly nature. 

“Door’s unlocked, Marty,” Doc called. He’d shown Marty where the spare key was hidden on that first day over a week ago, and he’d informed him that he was welcome to use it. But so far Marty hadn't taken that liberty, consistently knocking first, even when Emmett was expecting him. In addition, he typically waited to enter until the scientist gave him permission to do so.

Marty edged the door open, a backpack slung over one shoulder and his skateboard in his hand. The board was quickly dropped when Marty was suddenly overwhelmed by Einstein, who jumped up on his hind legs and pawed at the boy. “Hey, Einie,” Marty murmured, leaning forward to scratch the sheepdog heartily around the ears and under the chin. “D’ya need to go out?”

“I just returned from walking him eighteen minutes ago,” Emmett said, glancing past Marty at the many clocks affixed to the wall. “I wasn’t expecting you today.” He then squinted in confusion. “I thought you were coming by tomorrow, with today being the first day of school and all. I didn’t get my days disordered, did I?”

Marty grinned at the alliteration, which he was pretty sure the doc had done unintentionally. After a few more pets and scratches Einstein settled down, so the boy unloaded his backpack while he had the chance, talking while he did it. “No, you’re right, I’m coming over tomorrow after school to help you work on that automatic clothes press thing. But I’m gonna be a little late. I have detention.”

Emmett lowered the wires in his hands, looking at the teen in disbelief. “Detention? You’ve been in school for one day! How is that possible?”

Marty tossed his hands up in anger. “Just ‘cause I was tardy to a class or two! It sucks – I mean, it’s my first time in the high school, and I got lost a few times, went to the wrong floor or the wrong room, big deal!” He threw himself into a nearby armchair. “I know I wasn’t the only one who got lost today.”

Emmett moved over to the sofa, sitting on the edge of it so he was facing the boy. “I find it very odd that you would be reprimanded for losing your way in an unfamiliar school,” he said slowly. Then: “Have you really never been there before? What about when your siblings had extracurricular activities, did you never go to those?”

“Well, yeah, I’ve been to the gym and the auditorium, but not the classrooms.” Marty’s face had set into a scowl. “I never got to orientation last Saturday. My dad got called in to work by his jerk supervisor, and my mom was – “ he broke off quickly, the scowl replaced by a faint frown. “She was sick.”

Doc nodded thoughtfully. He now remembered how Marty had mentioned the upcoming orientation, even leaving the lab/house/garage slightly early on Saturday in order to attend the school function. As Marty had not visited on Sunday, this was the first that the scientist had heard about the missed event. “Still, even with an earlier tour of the school, mistakes can happen,” he allowed.

Marty’s frown had increased. “Yeah. . .” He sighed. “And I guess I might not have gotten detention just for that, for getting lost and being tardy, I don’t know. But I kind of wised off to the principal.”

“Ah.” Emmett was smiling as a clearer picture appeared. “I could see that causing an issue.”

“I didn’t even know who he was!” Marty exploded. The boy stood, beginning to pace before his chair. Emmett watched in amusement as he saw his own habit unconsciously mirrored by the teen. Einstein, sitting near Emmett’s feet, also watched with a cocked head as Marty continued his tirade. “He was harping at everyone at the assembly this morning - he's the school disciplinarian, I guess - but I missed that, too, because I had to go to the office to get my schedule and my locker combo, which took forever, and then I had to find my locker and try to get it open. . . You know, all the stuff I would've done during orientation."

“You had no knowledge of the identity of your school’s principal?” Doc said skeptically.

Marty paused before the chair, wrinkling his nose like he’d gotten a whiff of something sour. “Everyone knows who Strickland is, and Dave and Linda talked about him enough. But I’ve never _met_ the guy, not really. He was all in my face. . . After I told him off, he said ‘I will not be mouthed off to like this by a lowly freshman.’” Marty’s voice took on a haughty tone as he mocked Mr. Strickland. “He really ticked me off. Okay, fine, you’re supposed to respect your elders and all, but why did he have to insult me?” He sat in the chair again, glowering moodily.

Emmett was frowning. “Why indeed. Is it customary for him to address students in this manner?”

“Custo – Yeah, Doc, he does. He’s an asshole!” Marty suddenly flushed. “Oh, sorry. A jerk.”

The scientist waved off the curse. “If ‘asshole’ describes him sufficiently, go ahead and call him as such,” he said.

Marty’s face quirked into a grin, but it was short-lived. “I should’ve kept my temper, but the day had really sucked, and I was running for my fifth-period class when I ran into Strickland, like banged right into him. He asked what I thought I was doing, not looking where I was going, and then he asked who I was. When I told him he got this like ‘Oh, no wonder’ look on his face, like he recognized my name, and I think he decided he hated me then and there. Then he asked me if I had a good reason for running in the hall, and my mouth kinda took off before my brain. I told him I was being chased by the lunch lady because I stole her hairnet.”

Doc coughed, covering up a laugh. Marty looked up in clear surprise, then grinned mischievously. “Well, Strickland didn’t appreciate it. That’s when he started up with the lowly freshman crap, so I asked him what was the ‘right way’ to mouth off to him. I ended up in the office, and then he saw my name on a few tardy reports. . . Anyway, that’s why I’m gonna be late tomorrow.” He sighed, again becoming somber. “I guess I should be glad they don’t do detentions on the first day. If I was really late coming home today, my mom would call me on it, and I’d have to lie to her. Now I won’t have to, since they don’t expect me home right away tomorrow anyway.” Standing up, he turned to look at the scientist’s clocks. “I gotta go. Mom will expect me home by four, and if I’m not she’ll think I wiped out on my skateboard again or something.”

Emmett rose as well, and he put a restraining hand on Marty’s arm, causing the teen to turn. “Marty, why don’t you stay a little longer? I can give you a ride home in my van, that should get you home quicker than the skateboard.” He took a short breath, drumming the fingers of his free hand against his leg. “What I mean is, if you’d like to stay and talk some more. I’m curious as to why your day went so poorly. I know last week you had expressed an eagerness to return to school.” He smiled, although the expression seemed weak, uncertain.

Marty looked back at this man that he’d known for less than two weeks, wondering (and not for the first time) why the guy wanted anything to do with a fourteen-year-old kid, a nobody who had basically only agreed to work for him so he could earn enough money to purchase an electric guitar. Why he was so . . . attentive to him. Why he actively listened to Marty when the boy jabbered on about his family, Jennifer, school, and his music, even when it often delayed the tasks the two of them were attempting to complete.

Why he cared.

But it might be nice to talk to someone who cared.

Because when Marty got home, he knew what would happen. His mother would ask how his first day of school had been, and he’d say “fine.” She might press for a few details, but he could be choosy with those, and then she’d drop it. His dad might not even go that far, he’d most likely take the “fine” at face value. Dave would have the customary freshman joke, and Linda probably wouldn’t even make eye contact with him. She’d already told him, before they’d left for school in the morning, that she, as a junior, couldn’t have any contact with a freshman. She especially wasn’t going to admit she was related to one.

He was finally in high school, but he was definitely considered second-class. And no one at home would really care. Dave and Linda had been freshmen once, and they’d both survived, so what did he have to complain about? And his parents had last been in high school in the – the fifties? Man, that was a _lifetime_ ago.

 _Speaking of_. . . “I don’t know, Doc,” he said, doubtful. “Would you even get it? When you went to high school, things were probably a lot different.”

“I’m sure in some regards that is true, but I’d still like to hear what happened. Even if what occurred is something I don’t have experience with, it doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to offer advice. And even if I can't, sometimes the verbal account of a misfortune can give one a cathartic release.”

“The what can give a _what?"_

“To put it in a vernacular you’re more familiar with: sometimes it helps to just vent.” Doc’s flat smile had morphed into something more genuine, and that, combined with an obvious sincerity shining in his warm brown eyes, is what finally did Marty in. The boy returned to the arm chair, put his head in his hands, and said, “Oh, Doc, it was just everything! From the minute I got up!”

Emmett looked at the despondent form for a moment, feeling an urge to place an arm around the boy’s shoulders. He stopped himself from doing so, unsure whether Marty would appreciate the consoling touch – they were relatively new acquaintances, and he didn’t want to push any limits. They were supposed to be employer and employee, after all, although it had become apparent in just a few days that something akin to friendship was developing. The scientist wasn’t exactly clear on how that had happened . . . unless it was that each had seen a kindred spirit in the other, sensing that they were, ultimately, the same: misunderstood individuals who just wanted someone to see them for the creative, unique, and intelligent persons they really were.

Not wanting to possibly upset Marty with an unsettling or unwelcome hug, Emmett sat again as well. “How exactly did your day progress?” he prodded gently.

Marty lifted his head; there were faint red marks on his forehead from where his hands had been placed. “Well I overslept, of course, like usual. Missed breakfast. Linda got a ride to school from a girlfriend of hers, but she didn’t want to be seen with me, and my dad was already at work, so I had to really hoof it on my skateboard. I got to my homeroom okay, but once the teacher found out I wasn’t at orientation, she sent me to the office. I already told you I missed the assembly. I was tardy to my first class, I got my hand pinched in my locker,” he held up his right hand to display a bruised, scraped pinky, “and I was late to my third period class, too. But I think the worst part of all was lunch.”

Doc was leaning forward, his hands dangling between his knees, regarding the boy with interest. “What happened?”

Marty sighed, a long exhale that seemed to come from the bottom of his soul. “I told you about Jennifer, the girl I like?”

“The one who rescued you after you crashed your skateboard.”

“Yeah.” Marty said wistfully. “I’d been looking for her all day, hoping we might have classes together. I finally found her in the lunchroom. And she was sitting with another guy. A sophomore, for Pete’s sake. This creep named Grant Baxter.”

Emmett sat up, frowning. “Could they have just been friends? Are you sure it was a romantic interaction?”

“You don’t usually feed your French fries to a ‘friend,’” Marty said bitterly, recalling how the scene had turned his stomach. Grant, while feeding the fries to Jennifer, had “accidentally” smeared some ketchup onto the girl’s upper lip. Then the older boy had leaned forward to peck Jennifer on the lips, in the guise of removing the condiment. “They were together, definitely. So when I ran into Strickland after lunch, I was already in a bad mood. And then in my last period, biology, who is sitting at the lab table behind me? Jennifer. I don’t know how I’m going to ignore her all semester. Maybe I can get switched to another class.”

“Why do you have to ignore her?” Doc asked, bewildered.

Marty stared at the scientist as if he had suddenly grown a second nose. “What the hell am I supposed to do? I thought she liked me! I mean, she kissed me after I wiped out in front of her house. I thought that meant something. I was such an idiot. I can’t even _look_ at her now.”

Emmett smiled, although the expression didn’t last, once he saw Marty’s acid glare. The scientist cleared his throat, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make light of your situation. But does Jennifer know of your feelings for her? Did you ever express that you were interested?”

“Uh. . . “ Marty lowered his eyes, grimacing slightly. “Maybe not. I’ve known her since junior high, but we never hung out or talked much. I don’t think I really noticed her until earlier this year, but I didn't ask her out or anything." He scowled, disgusted with his inaction. "When I found out she lived near my uncle, I'd go by her house every chance I got, just hoping to see her. . . But even then, all we’d do was wave at each other and say hi.”

“So why should you feel the need to ignore her? You talk to other girls whom you consider friends, don’t you?”

Marty shrugged. “Yeah.”

“How difficult would it be to interact with her as just a friend? Considering you really have been nothing more than that. I understand you’re attracted to her. But if she’s unavailable as a romantic prospect, and you don’t put any undue tension into your relationship, you may find you’re amenable to a platonic friendship.”

“Platonic,” Marty repeated. “That means not boyfriend-girlfriend, right?”

“Precisely.” Emmett smiled again, pleased that Marty finally understood one of his non-slang terms. “Do you think you could do that?”

Marty’s expression was one of grim acceptance. “I guess I don’t have a choice. And yeah, I’d rather be friends with her than have to avoid her.” He sighed again, but this time the sound was more resolute than hopeless. “Thanks, Doc. And thanks for letting me vent.” Surprisingly, releasing the pent-up aggravation, to someone who actually listened, had helped.

“Not a problem, not a problem.” Doc rose, and Marty followed suit, turning to look at the time displayed on the scientist’s many clocks. “Oh, crap, it’s almost four! My mom is gonna be ticked!” Marty looked in desperation at the older man. “You can give me a ride home, you said? If I get my mom mad at me, she might not let me come here to work for you anymore! That’s why it’s good my detention’s tomorrow, and I won’t have to tell her about it.”

Emmett looked displeased by Marty’s second reference to hiding the truth from his mother. “Do you commonly lie to your parents?”

“Only about things that don’t matter. It’s not a big deal.” Marty was at the front door, collecting his backpack and skateboard. “Can we go?” Einstein had also risen to accompany Marty, and was now looking back at his master with an anticipatory doggy grin.

Emmett sighed in acceptance, then joined the two at the doorway, grabbing a set of keys from the nearby counter. “Einstein and I will have you home in a matter of minutes.”

Doc’s “scientific services” van did indeed pull up in front of Marty’s house roughly five minutes later, shaving a good ten minutes off the time it would have taken Marty to make the trip on his skateboard. Marty reached for the door handle, but then paused and instead turned to the driver. “Thanks a ton, Doc,” he said, “for. . . everything.” With little warning, the teen leaned forward, past the sheepdog sitting in between the two, and caught the scientist in a clumsy embrace. Initially startled, it took a moment before Emmett responded, patting Marty awkwardly on the back. “Don’t mention it,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

Marty drew back with a grin, his blue eyes alight. After a quick ruffle of Einstein’s fur, the boy grabbed his backpack and skateboard, and then swung himself out of the van and onto the sidewalk. “See you tomorrow, Doc!” he yelled, before running up his driveway toward his front door.

Emmett watched as Marty entered his house, letting the screen door slam behind him. “See you tomorrow, kid,” he said softly, then put his van into gear, driving away from the McFly house.

**_TO BE CONTINUED. . ._ **


	3. Past Platonic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marty, realizing a non-romantic friendship with Jennifer is better than no relationship, has become a close friend to the girl. But could things progress to another level?  
>    
> _Marty hadn’t seen anyone go into the girls’ restroom in a while. He glanced around the hall, didn’t notice anyone closely watching him, and then, as casually as he could, he backed into the girls’ restroom, letting the door swing shut after he entered._
> 
> _Marty dipped his head to look at the base of the stalls. He could only see one set of feet. He was pretty sure the white tennies he was looking at were Jennifer’s._
> 
> _“Jennifer?” he said softly._
> 
> _There was a gasp from the occupied stall, then a movement. “Marty?”_
> 
> _“Yeah."_
> 
> _“You can’t be in here! Get out of here!” Jennifer demanded._
> 
> _“Okay. You come out, too.”_
> 
> _“Marty, please go.”_
> 
> _Marty was briefly discouraged by the pleading words, but then remembered he’d come into the forbidden room for a reason. “Jennifer, no. I’m not leaving until you come out. I want to know what’s wrong.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this will be the last chapter of this story. I've wrapped it around to end on the same note as the first chapter. So I'm listing this as complete (for now).
> 
> I hope I have entertained with this story! 
> 
> -ck
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own _Back to the Future_ , Doctor Emmett L. Brown, Marty McFly (or any of his family members), Jennifer Parker, or Einstein the dog. I have created three original characters who are in this chapter.
> 
> I am writing for fun and feedback, not for profit.
> 
>  **NOTE:** The Huey Lewis and the News song mentioned in this chapter is "Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)." The song is from the band's debut album, and it does have a killer guitar solo. [This is the link to the official video,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPi4tL6r5UE) one of the first music videos the band filmed. See time 1:55 for Chris Hayes's solo (which might be enhanced by Johnny Colla, who also plays guitar).

**Thursday, October 7 th, 1982**

**2:14 PM**

**Hill Valley, California**

Marty McFly skidded into the biology classroom, his speed fairly unchecked, a hair’s breadth before the bell rang. He had been running so fast, in fact, in order to make it into the room without being tardy, that he was unable to slow himself after crossing the threshold. Instead he ran headlong into the garbage can at the end of the teacher’s desk. Luckily, it was plastic. Unluckily, it tipped over, dumping wadded up pieces of paper, pencil shavings, dried-up pens, used paper towels and tissues, and a few food wrappers on the floor.

A chorus of laughter and catcalls broke out in the classroom. “Crap,” Marty muttered, dropping his books as he righted the trash can, then knelt to begin picking up the detritus. A shadow crossed over him, and he looked up to see his teacher passing him to shut the door. Then the man turned, to gaze down at him in mild disapproval. “Hi, Mr. Graham,” Marty said, waving at him with a broken pencil he had just picked up. He glanced at the pencil, tossed it in the garbage, and then again looked at his teacher. “Sorry. But I wasn’t tardy! I beat the bell!”

The teacher sighed, shaking his head and briefly closing his eyes. “Finish this, go wash your hands, then please take your seat, Marty.”

Scooping up the last of the garbage, Marty grabbed his books up from the floor, tossing them onto his lab table on the way to the nearest sink. It was only when he did so that he noticed Jennifer was missing from her seat, at the table behind him. He looked at Jennifer’s table-mate, a blond boy named Josh. Marty made a gesture at the empty chair, furrowing his eyebrows in question. He could’ve sworn he’d seen Jenn in the halls earlier.

Josh shrugged, then his eyes suddenly went to the front of the classroom as the door opened. He jerked his chin sharply, and Marty turned to see Jennifer trudging in the door.

_Jennifer’s **tardy**?_

Marty did a cursory pass of his hands under the water, then hurried back to his seat in time to watch Jennifer walk past. The girl’s face was red, and her eyes were puffy. Marty twisted around on his seat as soon as she sat down. He waited until their eyes met, then whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Jennifer shook her head quickly, then riveted her eyes onto her biology textbook. “Jenn?” Marty tried again.

“Mr. McFly! Face forward, please!”

Scowling, Marty turned back to the front of the room. For the rest of the class, a question-and-answer and note-taking lecture concerning the central nervous system, he was unable to direct any more individual attention Jennifer’s way. And when the dismissal bell rang, Jennifer was out of her seat and out into the hall, swept up in the mass exodus of students, before Marty had even exited the room. He wasn’t sure how that had happened, since Jennifer sat behind him, but he had a feeling she had been planning on escaping, just so she wouldn’t have to talk to him. Which was unusual.

After his illuminating talk with Doc Brown on the first day of school, concerning his non-relationship and possible friendship with Jennifer, Marty had decided to take the scientist’s advice to heart. The next day at school, when Marty happened past Jennifer in the hall, he'd met her eyes and smiled, saying, “Hi.” Jennifer had looked at him in surprise at first, only returning a small smile, but later in the day, she’d taken the initiative. During a break in biology, when Mr. Graham had been on the phone, Jennifer had tapped Marty on the back. Marty had turned around to see Jennifer smiling widely at him. “I heard you have detention already,” she’d whispered. “Is that true?”

He’d grinned back, then shrugged. “Yeah, well, you know. . . I thought I’d get a head start.”

That brief interaction had paved the way for their friendship. Marty and Jennifer began to share their biology notes, even calling one another to discuss homework, although a few phone calls meandered into amiable chats that had little to do with studying. Occasionally – when he wasn’t running late – Marty would meet Jennifer at her locker, and they would walk to biology together. Sometimes Grant was there when Marty arrived, and he’d give Jennifer a parting kiss, usually with a “See you later, babe,” or similar send-off, as a way of letting Marty know that Jennifer was unavailable. Although he despised Grant (and his treatment of Jenn as property), Marty had resigned himself to just being Jennifer’s friend. And he’d found it really was enough. Jennifer was bright and sensitive, she could be wickedly funny, and she had a way of always finding the good in people. Marty often thought that if he had ignored or avoided Jennifer, he would’ve missed having a great friend.

They’d even eaten lunch together on the few odd times when Grant was not at school. It was on those occasions that Marty and Jennifer had begun to head into the realm of good friends. Jennifer had told Marty of her tenderness toward animals, and how squeamish she was about the upcoming fetal pig dissections. Marty had confided that his brother had caught him when he’d been playing air guitar to ["Some of My Lies Are True"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPi4tL6r5UE) by Huey Lewis and the News, and now teased him about it mercilessly. “But Jenn, there’s a killer guitar solo in that song. . . I wish I could play like Chris Hayes,” he’d said wistfully.

Jennifer had bumped his shoulder. “You’re cute like him.” When Marty had given her a surprised look, she’d shrugged. “That’s half the battle, isn’t it? If you want to be in a band?”

Marty had shaken his head, not understanding that Jennifer was speaking in jest. “No, it’s talent. You can be good looking and have the best guitar, but if you don’t know an A sting from a G string, you might as well forget being in a band.”

Jennifer had snorted out her milk, coughing and wheezing. Marty had stared at her in concern until he'd realized she was laughing. “G-string!” she’d gasped out, then laughed harder. “Oh my God!”

Marty had felt his face grow warm. “That’s not what I meant, Jenn – “ he’d attempted to say, but his defensive voice had been overshadowed by Jennifer’s raucous laughter.

And now Jennifer was definitely avoiding him. Without considering the implications of his actions, Marty darted through the throng of teenagers leaving the school, doing his best to see over the heads (needing to stand on tiptoe, as many of the students were taller than him), searching for his elusive friend. He finally caught a glimpse of Jennifer pushing open the door to the girls’ bathroom, and he made his way over, to stand near the doorway. When another girl passed him on her way the bathroom, giving him a suspicious look, Marty grinned feebly and moved over near the water fountain that was between the girls’ and boys’ restrooms. “Thirsty,” he said weakly, then bent forward to take a sip.

But after over five minutes had passed, and the majority of the students had filed out of the hall, either to head home or to fulfill after-school commitments, Marty was running out of reasons for his loitering near the restrooms. He’d studied a nearby bulletin board which advertised the upcoming festivities for Homecoming week, he’d dug through his backpack as if he was checking its contents, and he’d drank enough water so that he would pretty soon need to use the facilities himself. And still Jennifer hadn’t emerged.

It looked like it was time for desperate measures.

Marty hadn’t seen anyone go into either restroom in a while. He glanced around the hall, didn’t notice anyone closely watching him, and then, as casually as he could, he backed into the girls’ bathroom, letting the door swing shut after he entered.

Marty dipped his head to look at the base of the stalls. He could only see one set of feet. He was pretty sure the white tennies he was looking at were Jennifer’s.

“Jennifer?” he said softly.

There was a gasp from the occupied stall, then a movement. “Marty?”

“Yeah.”

“You can’t be in here! Get out of here!” Jennifer demanded.

“Okay. You come out, too.”

“Marty, please go.”

Marty was briefly discouraged by the pleading words, but then remembered he’d come into the forbidden room for a reason. “Jennifer, no. I’m not leaving until you come out. I want to know what’s wrong.”

“Marty. . . “ There was a hitch in Jennifer’s voice, a half-sob.

Marty edged forward. “Jenn, come on, you gotta come out. Won’t your dad be looking for you?”

“Not until l-later.” There was another sob, this one more obvious. “He knows I w-watch Grant’s f-football practice.”

The realization hit Marty then. Jennifer did watch Grant’s football practice. Which was going on at the junior varsity field right now. But Jennifer wasn’t there. Jennifer was crying in the bathroom.

“Jennifer, did something happen with you and Grant?”

There was no response from the bathroom stall, other than a quiet sniffling. Then suddenly there was the sound of the latch being pulled back from the door, and it opened slowly. Jennifer came out into the open, to stand before Marty. Her face was blotchy, her eyes glistened with tears, her hair was tousled and her clothes were wrinkled. She looked at Marty with open misery.

“He broke up with me! He said he liked someone else!”

The girl came forward to wrap her arms around Marty, lowering her head and beginning to cry into his chest. Marty’s arms automatically went around Jennifer. “That creep,” he muttered, and he meant it.

And he really didn’t think about the fact that Jennifer was a now a free agent. No, she needed to mourn the end of her relationship with Grant. Plus, he didn’t want to take advantage of her when she was vulnerable.

Although, Marty didn’t want anyone else beating him to the punch. So. . .

“Hey, I could walk you home,” Marty offered. When Jennifer pulled away, looking at him carefully, he was quick to add, “I mean, so you don’t have to hang around waiting for your dad." His face was the picture of innocence.

Jennifer wiped her eyes, then nodded jerkily. “Yeah, okay.”

As the two left the school, Marty made sure he took the route that didn’t go anywhere near the football fields. This meant a wider detour and a longer walk, and soon Marty’s shoulders began to ache from the added weight of his skateboard, which he’d hooked onto his backpack. Jennifer noticed him shifting his grip repeatedly, and she smiled, chuckling softly. She was about to tell him to just ride the skateboard, when a pitiful sound in a nearby alley caught her attention.

Marty had gone a few more steps before he realized that Jennifer had stopped. He turned to see her kneeling near some garbage cans in an alley, making a soft kissing sound and holding out her hand. “Jenn, what are you – “

“Shhh, you’ll scare it!” Jennifer hissed. She edged closer to the trash cans, speaking softly. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”

As Marty watched, Jennifer scooped up a small dark form, then stood, cradling it to her chest. “Oh my gosh it is so precious!” she breathed.

“What?” Marty tried to peer at what Jennifer held, sidling up beside her. “What is it?

“Just be careful, don’t make any loud noises,” she warned, then dipped her hands out slightly to show that she was holding a tuxedo-marked kitten. The animal seemed skittish, but at the same time it was burrowing in Jennifer’s arms, possibly understanding the girl meant no harm.

Marty let out a soft exhale. “A stray cat?”

“A kitten!” Jennifer looked over her shoulder at her backpack. “Marty, can you get my sweater out of my backpack? It’s shaking. I want to keep it warm.”

 _Keep it warm . . . forget that it’s 70 degrees out . . . the thing’s probably got some disease or something._ But Marty did as requested, locating the sweater and handing it to Jennifer. As he re-zipped her backpack, he sighed softly. “Um, Jennifer, what are you gonna do with that?”

After securely wrapping the shivering kitten into her sweater, Jennifer looked up with a defensive frown. “What do you mean?”

“Are you gonna carry that home?”

The frown changed from defensive to concerned. “Oh. Yeah. My dad hates cats. I’ve always wanted one, but he keeps coming up with reasons why we can’t. Cat hair, litter pans, the cat scratching up the furniture or the curtains, vet bills. . . “ Now her expression was despondent. “But look at it, Marty! I can’t leave this little baby here! It could get chased by a dog or hit by a car or get sick. . .”

“Yeah, that sucks.” Marty shook his head. He wasn’t a big fan of cats, either, but there was no way he was mentioning that. “It is pretty cute. Maybe you could talk your dad into it, like if he saw it.”

“No, if I did that without asking first I know he’d say no." Jennifer's face cleared, suddenly becoming hopeful. “Marty, what about you? Could you take it home, just until I work on my dad? It’s such a little thing, it won’t be in the way or anything! Just for a night, maybe?”

Marty immediately shook his head. “I can’t. Linda’s real allergic. To cats, dogs, even hamsters. Dave brought the classroom hamster home once when he was in elementary school, and Linda got some sort of rash and rubbed her eyes so much she even got pink eye.” Marty had only been about four at the time and didn’t really remember the event, but it had been mentioned often, every time he’d questioned why they couldn’t have a pet.

“Oh.” Jennifer’s face fell, and she stroked the kitten, her eyes filling with unshed tears. _Oh, jeez. . ._ Marty thought.

And then a solution occurred to him.

“Jennifer, I think I know someone who might be able to help.”

* * *

Marty turned the knob on the door slowly, peeking his head in. “Doc? It’s Marty.”

A bounding pile of fur was instantly at the door. “Oh, shit, Jennifer, back up!” Marty warned, then flushed, embarrassed at swearing in front of a girl. He tended to curse more at Doc's, having fallen into the habit as the scientist didn't mind in the least, but Marty also knew it was bad manners to use foul language around a woman. He glanced back worriedly at Jennifer, but the young woman didn't react to the curse, as she was more concerned with protecting the kitten. Focusing his attention back on Einstein, Marty tried to wrangle the excited sheepdog, who was a fair amount larger than he’d been a month ago. “Einie, settle down!”

Emmett walked up to the doorway, smiling at his visitor. Even though it was not officially Marty’s day to work, the scientist had become accustomed to the teen showing up after school, and sometimes even before the schoolday. “Good afternoon, Marty, how are – “ Emmett broke off as he saw a girl standing behind Marty, clutching a bundle in her hands. “Well, hello.” The other teen nodded back.

Marty tried a breathless introduction. “Uh, Doc, this is – down, Einie! – this is my friend Jennifer Parker.” The boy pushed at Einstein again, then looked at the doc helplessly. “Can you get him, Doc? Jenn’s holding something and I don’t want Einie to be jumping all over her.”

Jennifer was looking doubtfully at the dog. “I don’t know if this is a good idea, Marty. . . “

“No, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Once Doc got his dog directed to the living quarters of the garage, Marty shrugged off his backpack, dropping it and his skateboard to the floor. “Einstein is great, he just gets excited. I think Domino will be okay here for a day or two.”

“Domino?” Now that Einstein had been taken care of, the scientist returned to the conversation. “What, or who, is Domino?”

Jennifer took a hesitant step forward. “Doctor Brown? Marty talks about you a lot, says that you’re pretty cool, and understanding. . . “ She unwrapped the bundle partially, exposing a small black-and-white cat.

Doc looked between the two visitors. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, here.”

Marty and Jennifer both began to talk, in fast, clipped sentences. “I just need to convince my dad I can keep him,” Jennifer said, at the same time that Marty was saying, “We need a favor, just for a day or two, Doc.”

Emmett held out his hands, making a patting motion in the air. “Please, please, one at a time.”

Marty glanced at Doc, then turned back to Jennifer, not sure what to do. Jennifer’s eyes were wide, and she bit her lip, looking at Marty with a kind of pleading in her eyes.

Marty realized he just couldn’t deny that look. _I might be in trouble here._

The boy looked back at Emmett. “Uh, Doc, Jennifer found this stray kitten in an alley after school, and she was really worried about it. She thought if she left it there, it might get hurt or killed or something. She can’t take it to her house without asking her parents first, and I can’t take it to my house because my sister’s allergic. We just need some place to keep it for a day or two until Jenn can convince her folks to let her keep the cat. I thought maybe you could help us.” He shrugged, trying his most winning smile. “I figured since you’ve got Einie you like animals, and I bet he’d be real careful with the kitten, because he’s so well-trained.”

Doc studied the teenager, then looked briefly at the girl still standing in the entryway. “Marty, can we speak over here for a moment?” The scientist jerked his head at the living area of the garage.

Marty gave Jennifer a sheepish grin, then obediently followed Emmett. The older man moved them far enough away so they could whisper without the girl overhearing. Doc placed his hands on his hips, directing a frown at his young assistant. “What exactly are you doing, Marty?”

Marty rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you mean, Doc?”

“Marty.” Emmett’s frown became more severe. “I can’t be the only person who could assist you with this. I’m sure Jennifer has friends, as do you, who would be a more appropriate choice.”

“Maybe. . .” Marty allowed. Definitely Jennifer had friends that would offer to help watch the kitten for a day or two. “I guess Jennifer could have gone to someone else. But I was there, and she asked me to help her. It’s really important to her – I mean, she’s named the thing already. And I did come to a friend.” The teen smiled faintly. “You.”

Doc didn’t have an immediate response for that. His mouth twitched slightly, the frown eventually flattening out. A minor upturn of the lips followed, not exactly a smile but a likely precursor. He sighed, then whistled softly. Einstein, who had been dozing in his dog bed, jumped up and trotted over to Emmett. “You do realize, Marty, that if Einstein has any issue with the kitten, it cannot stay here.”

“Yeah, sure, Doc,” Marty said quickly, still smiling. Emmett’s eyes narrowed, the frown returning. “Why do I have a feeling that you are primarily doing this favor – or asking _me_ to do this favor – to get into Jennifer’s good graces? You are already friends, are you not?”

“Well, yeah. _Friends_. But she broke up with Grant, so there’s a possibility of more, now.” Marty’s smile had widened. He looked down at Einstein. “And you’re gonna help me with that, right, boy? You’re going to be a complete gentleman with that cat.” Einstein gazed up at the boy, wagging his tail happily.

Doc sighed again, briefly closing his eyes. _Teenagers._ A little more than a month ago, the only teenagers he'd had experience with were the ones who occasionally vandalized his property, typically on Homecoming or Halloween or New Year’s Eve. He’d definitely never had a positive interaction with a teenager prior to Marty. And now it looked like he might have another teen to add to the fold.

Emmett and Marty returned to the entryway of the garage, where Jennifer was waiting, nuzzling the kitten wrapped in her sweater. She looked up as the two approached, accompanied by Einstein. “Jennifer,” Doc said, “I’m going to hold Einstein’s collar, and I want you to show him the kitten, but do it very slowly. I want to see what Einie’s reaction will be.”

Jennifer appeared hesitant; she looked to Marty for reassurance. “It’s okay, Jenn, I’ll help Doc. We’ll make sure to keep Einstein back if he doesn’t like the cat.”

Jennifer nodded shakily. Emmett positioned himself on his knees next to Einstein, gripping his collar firmly. Marty knelt on the other side of the dog. The man and the boy looked up at Jennifer expectantly.

Jennifer unwrapped the kitten enough so that the head poked out, then, holding it securely, she edged forward so that the animal was fully in Einstein’s view.

The kitten, upon seeing the dog, let out a tiny hiss. Einstein reared back with a confused bark, then crept ahead, his nose sniffing vigorously. Doc held onto Einie’s collar tightly, not letting the dog get too close to the frightened cat.

It was a slow process. Einstein would be allowed to move forward an few inches. Jennifer relaxed her hold on the kitten somewhat, and stroked it on the head, speaking in low tones of assurance. There were no more hisses, but the cat was now growling lightly – an incredibly tiny, almost cute growl. Einstein’s ears pricked up at the sound, and his head cocked slightly. Marty laughed – the way that Einstein cocked his head when he was confused always amused the teen.

“Shh,” Emmett scolded Marty. The boy sighed impatiently.

It took several minutes before Einstein was finally within reach of Jennifer. As the dog had been curious but not overtly straining to reach the kitten, Emmett had slackened his hold, but was still watching his sheepdog closely. “Lower the cat, _slowly_ ,” Doc directed. “Don’t release it, just get it close enough so Einstein can smell it.”

Making sure the doc was near enough to stop Einstein from leaping, Jennifer did as asked. She brought the bundled cat down far enough so that Einstein could stick his nose into her sweater. The kitten became rigid, and its little claws broke through the knitting of the sweater, pricking into Jennifer’s arms. The girl winced, but otherwise didn’t react, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

After prodding the sweater a few times and making some soft grunts of interest, Einstein abruptly sat down, thumped his tail on the floor, and looked up at Jennifer with a soft yip.

“So . . . what?” Marty asked quietly.

Emmett stood. “I think it will be fine,” he said. “The kitten might not want anything to do with Einstein and will most likely find a hiding place, but I don’t believe Einstein will bother it.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I acquired Einstein from a shelter. He had been recently returned by a family who had adopted him but was not aware of how much work it can be, taking care of a puppy. I believe either in that home, or in the shelter, Einstein had previous interactions with cats. Otherwise I think he would be much more suspicious.”

“So you’ll do it? You’ll keep the kitten until I can talk to my parents?” Jennifer’s eyes shone, and she beamed at Marty. “You were right, he _is_ cool!”

Trying to not let Jennifer’s words sway him, Doc held up two fingers. “Two days. That’s all. If your parents do not agree, then you need to find another home for – Domino?”

Jennifer nodded. “You know, because dominoes are black and white. I had thought of Oreo, but Marty suggested Domino, and I liked that better.” She smiled again at the boy, who cleared his throat and looked away.

“Oh?” Emmett said, looking critically at Marty. “ _You_ came up with the name?” Marty shrugged, blushing faintly.

A moment later, the many clocks in Doc’s house struck four o'clock. Marty was gradually getting used to the cacophony, but neither Jennifer, nor Domino, was prepared. Jennifer jerked around to locate the cause of the noise, and when she wasn’t paying attention, the kitten sprang from her arms, running across the garage and into the living area, where it burrowed under the couch. “Oh, no!” Jennifer cried.

“Hey, it’s okay, Jenn, Doc said it was probably going to hide anyway – “ Marty started, but Jennifer was quickly shaking her head. “No, I didn't know how late it was. I have to go. My dad will come looking for me at the football field around 4:30. I want to get home before that and avoid any questions.” She looked apologetically at Doc. “I’m sorry – you should have a litter pan and food for Domino, but I really have to leave. Maybe I can get my mom to take me to the store and I can drop the things by later.”

Marty placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry. I can grab some stuff.”

“How?” she asked doubtfully.

Marty looked at Emmett briefly, then decided not to add a favor on top of a favor. “I’ll skate to the store.” He located his backpack, picking it up to empty the contents onto a nearby counter. “I’ll bring the stuff back in my backpack.”

“But don’t you need to get home, too?” Jennifer was wavering, the possible solution overcoming her earlier doubts.

Marty snorted lightly. “My parents know I stop here after school, even when I’m not working, so they’re used to me being late. As long as I’m home for supper, I’ll be okay.”

“Okay. . . if you’re sure.” Jennifer looked up at Doc. “Will that be okay?”

Emmett nodded. “I think that will be fine," he said again. "Marty can get the necessary supplies, and I’ll keep an eye on the cat for you.”

Jennifer grinned, darting forward to give the scientist a quick hug. “Oh, thank you!” Next, the girl turned to Marty and kissed him on the cheek. “Call me later!” she chirped, then left the garage.

Marty stared at the direction Jennifer had gone, his hand resting on the check that she’d kissed. “Definitely,” he said softly.

Gradually, Marty became aware of Doc’s presence. He lowered his hand, grinning awkwardly, and lifted his empty backpack. “Guess I should go grab some cat supplies, huh?”

"And how will you pay for them?" Emmett wondered.

Marty shrugged. His grin didn’t waver. “I’ll use my own money. Jennifer will pay me back.” His hand drifted back up to his cheek, on which he could still feel Jennifer’s soft, moist lips.

Observing his love-struck friend, the scientist shook his head. “I believe I advised you to maintain a platonic relationship with Jennifer,” he said, his voice stern.

Marty didn’t seem affected by the firm tone. “Yeah, that was before she broke up with Grant,” he said.

“You mentioned that earlier,” Doc recalled. “When was this ‘break-up’?”

“Ah. . . “ Marty’s grin faltered. “Today, I think.”

“Today,” Emmett repeated, then sighed heavily. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Marty.”

Marty shrugged into his backpack and picked up his skateboard, then opened the door. Before he left, he turned back to wink at Emmett. “I guess time will tell, huh?”

**_END_ **


End file.
